Blinken Says Ceasefire Would Benefit Hamas

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, responding to requests from Arab government officials for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, emphasized on Saturday, November 4, that a ceasefire under current conditions would benefit Hamas. According to Blinken, such a move would give Palestinian militants the opportunity to regroup and target Israel again. In a rare public disagreement, the foreign ministers of Jordan and Egypt, who were alongside Blinken at a joint press conference, repeatedly stressed the need to stop the fighting, stating that the deaths of thousands of civilians cannot be justified as self-defense. The foreign ministers of these two Arab countries neighboring Israel rejected public discussion about Gaza after the removal of Hamas, stating that immediate focus should be on efforts to cease hostilities. Blinken, on his second Middle Eastern tour following the deadly October 7 attack by Palestinian militants on Israel, stated, "A ceasefire at this moment would only allow Hamas to survive, regroup, and repeat what it did on October 7." He added, "No nation, none of us will accept such a thing... Therefore, it is important to reaffirm Israel's right and duty to defend itself." Blinken had previously met with his Arab counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, and Palestinian representatives in Amman. The Jordanian Foreign Ministry had announced that the immediate establishment of a ceasefire, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and ways to end the "dangerous deterioration [of the situation] threatening regional security" were key points of this meeting. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, during the joint press conference, stated, "It is always the responsibility of the international community to work to stop hostilities, not to promote the continuation of violence." Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also emphasized the need to clarify priorities, saying, "Right now, we must ensure the war stops." The United States has been in discussions with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt about the future of Gaza, but Shoukry and Safadi refrained from public comments on this matter to keep the focus on the ceasefire in Gaza. The Jordanian Foreign Minister questioned how one could talk about Gaza's future when it is unclear what kind of Gaza will remain after the current war ends. Arab governments are also concerned about the spread of hostilities to the region. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have recently launched rocket attacks towards Israel, and Iraqi Shiite militants have targeted U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria. The office of Najib Mikati, Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, announced that Mikati emphasized the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and stopping "Israeli aggression" in southern Lebanon during his meeting with Blinken on Saturday. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, rejected any temporary ceasefire that does not include the release of hostages following his meeting with Blinken in Tel Aviv on Friday. Reuters reported, citing a senior U.S. State Department official, that Blinken's discussions with Netanyahu and his war cabinet on Friday regarding humanitarian pauses reflected a month-long effort to deliver humanitarian items and goods to civilian residents of Gaza. According to this State Department official, Israel initially opposed the delivery of humanitarian aid but later agreed to deliver over 100 trucks daily to civilian residents of Gaza. He specified that Palestinian civilians in Gaza need 500 to 600 trucks of humanitarian aid daily. The United States is now asking Israel to agree to temporary and specific pauses in certain areas to distribute humanitarian aid among civilians, but Israel is concerned that such pauses could allow Hamas to regroup. David Satterfield, the U.S. special envoy for humanitarian issues in the Middle East, who is accompanying Blinken on his Middle Eastern tour, told reporters that Israel's concerns are understandable, but ensuring that Israel will not attack specific locations or routes is a "strategic necessity" for delivering humanitarian aid to needy civilians in Gaza. Israel: We did not target a school in Gaza; it may have been damaged due to another attack. The German Deputy Chancellor called for the destruction of Hamas. Israel: Hamas attacked soldiers trying to open a humanitarian corridor. Erdogan verbally attacked Netanyahu; Blinken is going to Turkey. Zelensky stated that the Israel-Hamas war has caused Ukraine to lose focus. The Israeli Defense Minister warned the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon not to "make a mistake." Israel bombed Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. An Israeli airstrike targeted the "residence of the family" of Ismail Haniyeh in northern Gaza. Blinken met with Lebanon's caretaker prime minister in Amman today. The Israeli army stated that it is "unaware" of military activity in the area where a Palestinian journalist was killed.